Bird is rolling out a new standalone app, called Bird Maps, in Paris and Tel Aviv that will provide turn-by-turn navigation for riders who want to use bike or micromobility lanes for their entire trip. The app, which will be available on iOS and Android, was created using navigation software from Trailze, an Israeli startup […]
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks has examined the President's Executive Order that attempts to spur FCC action against social media and found it wanting. "There are good reasons for the FCC to stay out of this debate," he said. "The decision is ours alone."
Apple this week is getting publicly dragged for digging in its heels over its right to take a cut of subscription-based transactions that flow through its App Store. Almost unbelievably, it’s doing so in the middle of antitrust investigations both in the EU and the U.S. — the latter which CEO Tim Cook may decide to […]
A memo obtained by The Athletic details the NBA’s plans to play out the remainder of the 2019-2020 season, beginning at the end of June. It’s a fairly detailed return to action for the league, including some notable tidbits, like, “It is critical that every player understand that he has the right to choose not […]
As the world awakens to the many ways that people of color are systematically discriminated against, companies whose future depends on their ability to address their own role in this entrenched societal issue are taking some action. For its part, following weeks of protests around the U.S. and world to defeat racism, Alphabet just announced […]
In another up for technology shares, software companies saw their values reach new heights today. The day’s trading comes after a sell-off last week eased some of technology companies’ rebounds from their COVID-19 lows; stocks in tech companies have more than made up for their early-year declines in mid-2020, with the Nasdaq reaching 10,000 points […]
Twitter is rolling out to its platform a new type of tweet — audio tweets — allowing users to share thoughts in audio form inside their feeds. The feature will only be available to some iOS users for now, though the company says all iOS users should have access “in the coming weeks.” No word […]
In a major security U-turn, videoconferencing platform Zoom has said it will, after all, offer end-to-end encryption to all users — including those who do not pay to use its service. The caveat is that free users must provide certain “additional” pieces of information for verification purposes (such as a phone number where they can […]
Headphone-maker Bose is calling it quits on their Bose AR platform play, noting that they’ll be winding down support for third-party developers on their platform next month. In a statement to Protocol, which first reported the news, a Bose spokesperson admitted the program hadn’t panned out as planned, further noting that Bose would no longer […]
Week five of a16z’s Crypto Startup School gets into the inner workings of crypto projects, with a focus on security and project development from the front lines.
Sidewalk congestion is a major pain point for cities, and fully charged scooters for riders are no guarantee. Those are the two main selling points of micromobility docking startup Swiftmile and remote-controlled scooter repositioning startup Tortoise, respectively. Today, Swiftmile and Tortoise announced a partnership to solve those problems. “These are incredibly complementary services,” Tortoise co-founder […]
In a new move designed to encourage more economic and scientific collaboration between spacefaring nations, the U.K. and U.S. governments have signed a new agreement that would make it possible for U.S. companies to take part in space launches from the U.K., including its many in-development spaceports. The deal sounds one-way — but the nature […]
Alongside the Android 11 beta news and updates to Android developer tools, Google has quietly rolled out a significant change in how Android app developers can market their subscriptions on the Google Play Store. The company confirmed a select set of developers are testing a new feature that allows consumers to purchase an app’s subscription […]
Disrupt 2020 offers an unprecedented opportunity to introduce your pre-series A, early-stage startup to thousands of potential investors, customers, journalists, technologists and other influential movers and shakers around the world. How? Read on. Grab yourself a Disrupt Digital Startup Alley Package and get ready to virtually showcase your innovative products, platforms or services in front […]
Lyft said Wednesday that every car, truck and SUV on its platform will be all-electric or powered by another zero-emission technology by 2030, a commitment that will require the company to coax drivers to shift away from gas-powered vehicles. The target, which Lyft plans to pursue with help from the Environmental Defense Fund and other […]
Microsoft tried to sell its facial recognition technology to the Drug Enforcement Administration as far back as 2017, according to newly released emails. The American Civil Liberties Union obtained the emails through a public records lawsuit it filed in October, challenging the secrecy surrounding the DEA’s facial recognition program. The ACLU shared the emails with […]
We knew remotely operated robotics were going to have their moment soon enough — but few predicted how much the category would be forced to accelerate in 2020. It’s true that many of the pieces were already in place, including the technology and the desire to innovate, but a global pandemic turned out to be […]
Facebook adds a personal off switch for political ads, T-Mobile lays off hundreds of Sprint employees and a content management platform raises $80 million. Here’s your Daily Crunch for June 17, 2020. 1. Facebook adds option for US users to turn off political ads, launches voting info hub Facebook made the controversial decision not to […]
